Animalistic Behavior
by Samairi
Summary: Naruto wasn’t sure when it began, but he did remember a time, when the pupils of his eyes had not yet become slitted, that a squirrel yelled at him for shaking his tree.
1. The Beginning

Naruto wasn't sure when it began, but he did remember a time, when the pupils of his eyes had not yet become slitted, that a squirrel yelled at him for shaking his tree. He had shaken the squirrel right onto the ground from a 20-foot height. Although, if the squirrel hadn't been wanting help to reach a particular acorn, Naruto never would have climbed that tree and shaken its limbs. It wasn't his fault.

That had been when Naruto was about five. His ability to talk to animals had just begun to manifest itself, allowing Naruto to speak to small creatures such as rabbits and mice. And squirrels. As his ability grew stronger, his pupils became more and more slitted. Naruto figured that since he could talk to Kyuubi in his own language, that of the foxes, his eyes slowly became that of the Kyuubi's due to their bond. Now, at fifteen, Naruto's pupils were basically fat lines, and he could talk to any and all animals.

Sometimes his gift was in fact a burden. Naruto had to place a genjutsu over his eyes to hide the fact that they weren't human, and when an animal needed help when he was in front of anybody, he had to ignore it until he was free and hope that said animal would forgive him.

Naruto tried to repay the animals of the forest for Konoha's use of their trees and loss of life due to rebellious ninjas, which is how he ended up taking care of a wolf cub. Its mother was killed by a group of ninjas during training, and the cub found its way to Naruto's doorstep with the advice of many helpful birds. Naruto has now been taking care of the pup for two years, during which time the cub has grown into a ferocious-looking beast. The wolf (named Seishi by Naruto) has never been allowed to follow Naruto to training, or on missions with his team. He always had to stay in Naruto's apartment while he was away. Only when Naruto was there was he able to roam free.

Or at least until some angry villagers decided to get rid of Naruto once and for all by burning down his apartment. Only Seishi was in it, however, and he just broke through the bathroom window to escape. Not knowing what to do, he started following Naruto's trail.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

20 miles outside Konohagakure

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto stiffened as he felt Seishi's presence behind the team. Kakashi noticed his tight posture and turned to him.

"Something the matter, Naruto?" He asked.

"I'm hungryyyy! Can we stop already?" Naruto complained flawlessly. After hiding behind the idiot façade for just about his entire life, he had gotten pretty good at snapping into his mask at a moment's notice.

Kakashi rolled his one visible eye at Naruto's idiocy, not expecting any more from the loud-mouthed teen. They made camp nearby. Naruto volunteered to go get firewood so he could have a chat with Seishi.

Naruto slowly moved through the forest, knowing that once Seishi knew that he was alone he would appear. He didn't have to wait long. A gray blur soon shot through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of Naruto, who raised an eyebrow.

"_And what exactly are you doing out here?" _Naruto asked. Seishi managed to look sheepish.

_I didn't have anywhere else to go._

"_Why not?"_

_Some people came and made your house hot. I had to leave through the clear wall in the room with the waterfall._

Naruto had to think for a moment—Seishi had an odd way of describing things. He wasn't very good at remembering the actual names of man-made items. Naruto finally deciphered his message. He closed his eyes.

"_You mean they set my house on fire and you escaped through the bathroom window?"_

_I guess so._

"_Wonderful." _

Naruto opened his eyes and sighed. Now he would have to find somewhere new to stay when he came home from the mission.

"_I suppose you'll have to just follow me, since I have nowhere else for you to go. Just make sure you're not seen. I do _not_ want to explain you to Kakashi."_

Seishi nodded his huge head and melted into the surrounding forest. Naruto felt pride swell up at how well he did it. Not too long ago he could barely even find his way through the thick trees, and now he was travelling through them like a pro.

Naruto's happy mood dwindled as he walked back to camp, picking up stray branches along the way for firewood. (He never cut them off of a live tree—it was like chopping off the finger of a human for no reason.) He kept remembering Seishi's report on his house. Or lack thereof. _I can't believe they burned it down. I knew they were stupid, but come on! If they think I'm a demon, why would they want to anger me? Idiots. Good thing I'm not, although I wouldn't mind for some of them to go mysteriously missing. _A maniacal expression spread across Naruto's face as he thought of the many ways he could dismember, maim, or put the villagers through other various forms of torture.

When he came within sight of their camp (A normal person, even if they were ninja, would still have to go a ways before they could see it. Just another piece of evidence of Naruto's tenant.), Naruto wiped the expression off of his face and plastered on a dumb, hyper one. He waltzed into camp, slightly swaying from the load of firewood in his arms.

"Check out all this wood I found! I bet none of you could ever hope to get this much on a single trip!" He said. Loudly. He put on a show of stumbling with the wood, and almost (on purpose) dropped it once or twice. Sasuke had to get up and take it from him.

"Dobe." Naruto screwed up his face.

"Hey, I got way more than you ever could, Sasuke-teme!" Sasuke just scoffed and laid the firewood near a tree. Naruto inwardly smirked at the success his act was having.

Kakashi started a fire with the firewood, and the group gathered around the blaze.

"Okay, our mission is to deliver this scroll." He removed a tightly sealed scroll from his vest pocket. "It's going to the chief parishioner of Wave country, and we need to make sure it gets there safely." Team seven nodded. "But first, we need to eat to keep up our strength." Kakashi produced four nutrition bars from the vast expanse of his pants pocket and passed them out, keeping one for himself. They ate them quietly (somewhat odd for Naruto's pretense, but then again he was a little preoccupied with thoughts of his destroyed home.) and laid out blankets to sleep on. Naruto laid his on the edge of the forest, and the rest lay around the fire. The last thing Naruto remembered before falling asleep was the furry back of a wolf pressing against him. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning

0o0o0o0o0o0

When Naruto woke up, Seishi was gone. But he had been replaced by two squirrels, a chipmunk, and a hedgehog. He quietly shooed them away, promising to talk to them later. Naruto yawned and sat up.

He glanced around the campsite to find out what everyone else was doing. Sasuke and Sakura were still sleeping, Sakura having curled up next to Sasuke sometime during the night, and Kakashi was nowhere to be found. _Probably spying on some defenseless girl or something, _he thought with disdain.

Naruto sighed and decided to talk with the animals who had kept him company during the night. He stood and quietly crept into the surrounding forest.

Almost immediately the hedgehog came to greet him. _Salutations. _Naruto raised an eyebrow at the hedgehog's uptight demeanor, but went along with it.

"_Salutations. Can I help you?"_ The hedgehog bobbed his head.

_Bad men with metal stars chased my family and me out of our den. I have knowledge of many other animals in similar predicaments. _

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Bad men with metal stars—that sounded like ninja with shuriken. _But there shouldn't be any ninja around here. _He would have to keep that in mind. _"I'll try to help." _The hedgehog bobbed his head once again.

_That is all I ask for._ With that, he was gone.

Naruto was still pondering over the mysterious ninja when he cam across the squirrels and chipmunk. They were waiting in a tree for him. He easily jumped up on the branch just below them and got down to business.

"_Is there anything I can do for you?"_

The chipmunk nodded. _Our trees are being cut down. Many of us have already had to move our homes because of it. _

_Yes—we have had to evacuate our home, as well. _The squirrels agreed. Naruto sighed. Another case of homes being built in animals' habitats, no doubt. Although he didn't totally disregard the fact that it could be something more.

"_I'll talk with the people who are cutting them down and see if we can work something out."_

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes behind Naruto. The squirrels and chipmunk scampered off, throwing a quick _Thank you! _over their shoulder as they left. Naruto inconspicuously withdrew a shuriken from the pouch on his leg, but otherwise did nothing to show that he was aware of the person behind him.

"Naruto! There you are! I've been looking all over for you—you can't just wander off like that. You would probably fall into a bear trap or something." Sakura all but yelled. Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to face her, putting the shuriken back in its pouch on his way. The girl didn't notice.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan! I had to pee and got lost." The lie rolled off his tongue expertly. He had had years of practice, after all.

Sakura huffed. "That is just like you, Naruto."

_I've never been truly lost in my entire life. Why would I start now? And for your information, there are no bears around here, so therefore no bear traps. Couldn't she be a little observant for once in her life? _Naruto asked himself. _I guess that would be too much work for her. _

The two made their way back to camp, Naruto being practically dragged by Sakura. Kakashi had returned from wherever he had gone, and he and Sasuke were cooking fish over the fire. _Oh, great. I'm a vegetarian. I guess Seishi's going to have a feast tonight._

Naruto sat down by the fire and reached out for the biggest fish. Sasuke swatted his hand away.

"They're hot, Dobe. Don't touch them. And you didn't help catch any, so you get the last pick."

"But Saaasukeee, I'm huuungryyyy." Naruto replied in a perfectly fake, whining voice. "And Sakura didn't help either." _And neither did you, seeing as the smell of fish is prominent on Kakashi's hands, not yours._

"She was busy getting you. Loser."

"I'll show you, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled. He sprang at Sasuke, but Kakashi caught him by the scruff of his neck before he could go any further.

"Naruto, the fish are done. Hurry up and eat so we can get going." He said. Naruto pouted, but took the smallest fish when it was offered to him. He unobtrusively stuck the fish in a side pocket to give to Seishi later on. Within minutes the group was ready to continue on to Wave country.

* * *

Okay--there it is. I don't know when I'll be able to update or even write more, but eventually it'll get done. Maybe. Hopefully...

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	2. The Mission

Sorry it's been so long!!! Busy, and whatnot. But I went on a writing spree today, so here's the next chapter!!!

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Naruto gazed at his surroundings with awe. He had heard from some passing birds that the Land of Waves was impressive, but he himself had never actually seen it. And man, was it impressive. There was water as far as he could see, which was far indeed. A few stray boats dotted the horizon, but other than that the water was perfectly clear and still. 

_I guess they were right,_ Naruto thought. _I've never seen anything like this. _Team seven stared at the endless sea, not paying the slightest bit of attention to Kakashi, who was currently trying to lecture them.

"And so I stuck a rubber chicken up his butt." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura spun around and stared at him. "Finally. I've been trying to get your attention for at least three minutes!" Team seven mumbled out an apology.

"As I was saying," Kakashi continued, "this scroll contains highly valuable information that Wave county needs right now. There was no one else available to carry out the task of delivering it safely, so we were chosen. I expect you all to be on your guard." Naruto nodded, but he wasn't happy.

_Why does Wave need that scroll so bad? I haven't heard of any big raids or attacks or anything, so what's the problem? It can't be about business or a treaty; Konoha already has a treaty with them, and we already do business over there. Sandaime wouldn't break either one of those contracts; we depend on them too much. So what is it about?_

As Naruto thought this, his teammates were becoming suspicious. It wasn't like Naruto to be quiet for that long. Or have that serious expression on his face.

"Naruto," Sakura ventured, "are you okay?" Naruto snapped out of his reverie.

_Oh, man, I gotta think of something!_ Naruto worried for a split-second before,_ I got it! _Naruto let out a gigantic burp. It almost blew Sakura away, and Sasuke had to reach for a handhold.

"Wow, that was a good one!" Naruto grinned. _Made it._

Sakura, now able to stand, scowled. "You mean that's what you were doing? Building up a burp? We were worried about you!"

Naruto made himself look sheepish. "Yes?" Sakura hit him on the head. "Ow, ow, ow! Sakura-chan, why'd you do that?!"

"You're being an idiot!" she yelled.

Sasuke smirked. "You should be used to it by now, Sakura." Naruto pouted.

_Good, they fell for it. I'm safe._

A few minutes later the boat that team seven was on pulled up beside a dock leading to the main city of Wave country. Kakashi quickly let down the anchors and tied a rope connected to the boat to a hook on the dock. Sasuke got off first, then Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto, as usual. But that was okay with Naruto; it fit with his character.

The group made its way to a large building in the center of town. They had to stop a few times to let Sakura, who was gawking at the various kinds of stands lining the streets, catch up. Naruto took note off all of the entrances and exits of the building, all while keeping a look of amazement on his face. The team was ushered into the building by somewhat disturbing security guards. Their bulging muscles rippled as they opened the doors. Sakura grimaced as she walked past them.

An attendant led them up a flight of stairs, then to a door at the end of a long hallway. The attendant knocked on the door, then opened it without waiting for an answer.

"Sir, the team from Konoha is here," he said. A mumble came from inside, to which the attendant replied "Yes, sir." Team seven exchanged glances. The attendant ushered them in, then closed the door behind them.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the man behind the gigantic desk in the center of the room. He looked as if he should have died about two hundred years ago. His eyes were nearly hidden beneath his many wrinkles, and the few stray hairs he had were pure white. His hands were callused in the places where Naruto's were, without the genjutsu. This man was no stranger to the way of the ninja.

"Welcome," the man said. His voice was raspy and all but intelligible. "I am the chief parishioner of Wave country." Team seven nodded in respect. "I believer you have a scroll for me?"

Kakashi withdrew the scroll from his vest pocket and handed it to the parishioner. The old man glanced over it, then resealed it.

"You are dismissed," he said, waving them away. Just as the team turned to go, a huge boom sounded from the direction of the docks. The parishioner gazed unseeing at the window. Naruto reviewed the exits in his mind as he rushed over to the window with the rest of his team.

Smoke filled the air near the docks. Black shapes could be seen emerging from the smoke, darting from rooftop to rooftop. Screaming followed in their wake.

"Let's go," Kakashi said. Naruto hesitated, glancing at the parishioner.

"Go," he said. Naruto nodded and quickly followed the rest out the door. The parishioner smiled sadly and gazed out the window once again.

Team seven raced toward the intruders. Barely one minute had passed before they arrived in the midst of a battle. The villagers of the town were fighting hard against the invaders, but they were not trained to fight. They were being slaughtered. Kakashi performed a few hand seals and created a torrent of wind to confuse the intruders. They created hand seals for themselves and neutralized Kakashi's wind.

"They're ninja!" Kakashi yelled. Naruto grinned. Finally, some action!

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura leapt into action. Sasuke started spitting fireballs, Sakura created a few genjutsu, and Naruto created shadow clones to help fight. Soon they were caught up in the battle. As soon as they took down one opponent, another would appear. Naruto grit his teeth. He was far beyond any of his teammates skill-wise, but he had not done much fighting against opponents that were not made of wood or smoke. Sasuke and Sakura were not doing any better, and he had lost sight of Kakashi. Plus, he had to be extra careful not to have blood drawn. If Seishi, who was hanging around the town until it was time to leave, smelled Naruto's blood, he would immediately come to his aid, no matter if he was supposed to be hiding or not.

Suddenly a kunai grazed across Naruto's arm. A thin stream of blood appeared. Naruto took down the thrower of the knife, but it was too late. He heard a growl come from behind a nearby building. Seishi leapt into the fray, tearing at the men in black. Naruto saw Sasuke glance at the gigantic dog, but another wave of attackers soon swamped them, so he couldn't brood too much on the help of the dog. Naruto grimaced. He knew that Kakashi would probably become suspicious after this.

With the help of Seishi, the tide of the battle turned in favor of the villagers and team seven. When there were only a handful of the men left, they fled. Silence reigned for a few moments. Then , as everyone realized that they had won, a cheer arose. Kakashi appeared next to Naruto and raised an eyebrow at him. Naruto grinned at him.

"Good thing that dog appeared, right Kakashi-sensei?" he said. Kakashi narrowed his eye.

"Good thing, indeed," he said. Naruto sent a thought out to Seishi.

"_Get out of here!"_ he told him. Seishi pulled his disappearing act and vanished into the crowd.

Sasuke and Sakura soon joined Naruto and Kakashi. They were both panting, Sakura noticeably more than Sasuke.

"What was up with the dog?" Sakura asked.

"Wolf," Kakashi corrected her. "It was a wolf, and I don't know what it was doing here, or why it only fought the enemy, or why it disappeared as soon as the fight was over." Team seven blinked. Kakashi put a hand over his eyes. "Nevermind," he groaned.

The foursome made their way back to the parishioner's office. When they got there, however, they realized that there was something wrong. The guards at the entrance were nowhere to be seen, and the doors were lying a few feet from the doorway. The edges of them were charred. _Uh-oh, _Naruto thought forebodingly.

"Stay here," Kakashi told them. _Yeah, right, _Naruto thought. He silently created a kage bunshin and replaced himself with it. The rest of his team didn't notice a thing. The clone stayed with Sasuke and Sakura while the real Naruto followed Kakashi.

Kakashi crept up the stairs and down the hallway. The door to the parishioner's office had a huge dent in it, as if a log was forcibly thrown at it. Kakashi, unaware of the blond shadow tailing him, pushed the door open.

The chief parishioner was lying facedown on his desk, a kunai and several shuriken protruding from his back. Kakashi went over to him and checked his pulse. Naruto already knew he was dead.

Kakashi bowed his head when he detected no pulse and started to back out of the room. He stopped, however, when he realized that the scroll they had delivered was missing. He cursed and started digging through the desk. Naruto crept in closer to see what he was searching for, but had to retreat almost instantly when a stray pen nearly took off his ear. He didn't want to risk getting hit and alerting Kakashi of his presence.

A few minutes passed and Kakashi had found no sign of the scroll. He cursed once again and headed for the door. Naruto ran through it just before Kakashi did and beat him to the bottom of the stairs. He quickly switched places with the bunshin and tried to act normal. Normal for the Naruto he was portraying, anyway.

"Okay," Kakashi said, "the parishioner is dead." Sakura gasped at the announcement, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto put on a "what?" expression. "He was killed by the ninja who invaded the town," Kakashi continued. "They also took the scroll that we delivered."

"Great," Naruto said, "we did all that work for nothing!" He pouted accordingly. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Moving on," Kakashi continued with a look at Naruto, "I don't know who those ninja were, but they took the scroll and that means that they are our enemies. We need to report this to Hokage-sama. We leave tonight." Team seven groaned, but complied.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Somewhere near Fire Country

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Naruto was becoming increasingly more preoccupied the nearer they got to Konoha. He knew that his house was burned, but he didn't know to what extent. Seishi had left before he could see what happened. Speaking of Seishi, Naruto needed to figure out how to make sure no one saw him on further missions. Kakashi was suspicious enough as it was; Naruto didn't need Seishi to further complicate things.

Naruto was shaken out of his thoughts by Kakashi's voice.

"When we get to Konoha, I will go directly to the Hokage tower. You all will be free to do whatever." Kakashi said. Team seven nodded. Naruto thanked his lucky stars. _Good, now I won't have to explain to anyone about Seishi just yet._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Konoha's front gates

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Team seven was briefly halted by the guards at the gates, but once Kakashi told them who they were, they were easily let through. Kakashi headed for the Hokage tower and left the rest of the team standing in the road. _Okay, then…_Naruto thought. He shrugged and left Sasuke to fend off Sakura by himself. It was time to see what remained of his house.

* * *

Well, that's all for now!!! Hopefully it won't take as long for the next chapter to get written!!! 


	3. Home

**A/N: I am sooo sorry that this took like...two years to do. I put this story up for adoption, but nothing seemed to come out of it, so here we are. After looking over all my stories and realizing how many people reviewed this one, I decided that I need to continue it. So, here we are, another chapter of Animalistic Behavior, after a very long wait. Enjoy. :)

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**

Naruto stared at what remained of his house with dismay. All he could discern from the wreckage was part of a wall and a couple of shuriken; everything else was charred black. _Fabulous._ Now he would have to find somewhere else to sleep at night. Luckily, his valuables were not kept in the house; he had found a convenient hollowed out tree in the nearby forest to keep all of his high-quality tools and important scrolls in. Once coated in a water-resistant sealant, the inside of the tree was quite perfect for things to be stored in. A genjutsu lain on the surrounding area diverted everyone's attention from the tree; their eyes simply passed over the hiding place as if it was not there.

It was to this hiding place that Naruto went after viewing the wreckage that was once his house. Seishi met up with him halfway there and silently followed along beside. _Are you mad at me? _Seishi asked presently. Naruto stopped and looked at the great wolf. Seishi's tail was drooping and his ears were laid back against his head.

"_No, no. How could I be? It wasn't your fault that those people burned down the house, and it was my own error that made you come rushing into the fight in Wave country," _Naruto told him. Seishi's tail lifted a bit.

_Does this mean we get to sleep in the big trees? _Seishi said, hopeful. He loved sleeping in the forest, but would not leave Naruto's side. The only time he was able to sleep in the trees was when Naruto himself did.

"_Why, yes it does. How about you pick out a nice big oak for us?" _Seishi rolled his tongue out and galloped off. Naruto had to laugh; his house may have been destroyed, but at least Seishi was happy. In a few moments the wolf was back. Naruto shook his head at Seishi's goofy expression, but followed the wolf to a large oak tree. Naruto jumped onto the lowest branch while Seishi curled up in between two roots of the tree. _"Goodnight, Seishi."_

_Happy blackness, _Seishi replied. Naruto chuckled at Seishi's word for night, and settled himself more comfortably on the branch. He had been travelling for two days, nonstop, and was worn out. He fell asleep quickly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Next Day

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Naruto woke promptly at daybreak and opened his eyes to find an owl sitting on his upraised knee. Naruto blinked a couple of times to clear his eyes of the remnants of sleep. _"Hi," _Naruto said simply.

_Greetings. I have been forced from my home by men and metal. May I reside in your tree?_

Naruto inwardly sighed. Yet another animal affected by ninja. _"Of course, Wise One. You may stay as long as you wish." _The owl inclined his head and flew to the top of the oak tree.

"Okay. Up and at 'em, Seishi," Naruto said. Seishi yawned at looked up at Naruto. "Now don't give me that. Just because we're in the forest doesn't mean we get to sleep in." Naruto hopped down from his perch and began stretching his limbs. Seishi yawned again and lumbered up. As soon as he was awake properly, Seishi lunged at Naruto. Naruto was ready; this happened every day.

Seishi aimed at Naruto's throat, but got his arm instead. Naruto thrust Seishi into some bushes and created three shadow clones. Seishi quickly took down all of the clones and came straight at the real Naruto. Naruto dodged the wolf and threw a couple of kunai at him. Seishi easily avoided the daggers and flew at Naruto again. The fight continued for a good twenty minutes, with both sides evenly matched. Finally, Naruto called a halt.

"Good job," he said. Seishi hung his tongue out in reply. Naruto started on the rest of his morning exercises: aiming shuriken at random trees, push-ups, sit-ups, punches into the air, punches into a tree, and focusing his massive chakra into various parts of his body. After flipping from the last tree that he climbed using only his feet, Naruto decided to go to the training grounds. Kakashi hadn't told them yesterday to meet him there, but they usually met every day. Naruto shrugged and started walking. Seishi followed.

Sasuke and Sakura had the same idea as Naruto; they were already warming up when he arrived.

"About time, Naruto!" Sakura said. "Just because we had a mission yesterday doesn't mean you get to slack off!"

_Yeah, says the girl who only trains when Kakashi is here, _Naruto thought. "Mah, but I'm tired!" he whined. He leaned against a nearby tree to illustrate his point. "Why don't we ever get a break?"

"If you want a break, you can be a vegetable salesman. Otherwise, you train." Naruto jumped in surprise, although he already knew Kakashi was behind him. He grinned sheepishly.

"What I meant to say was, I love training?" Naruto lifted his voice in a question.

"That's what I thought," Kakashi said. He glanced at the other two members of team seven. "The Hokage wants to see all of you." With that, Kakashi turned and began walking toward the center of the village. Sasuke shrugged and followed him; Sakura took his lead, and Naruto trailed behind.

_Crap, I need a good cover story…_Naruto thought furiously of what he should say. _Do I still say I have no idea? Do I make up someone else who was controlling Seishi? Could I say that Seishi was an advanced jutsu? That one might work…maybe one of the townspeople knew more about fighting than we thought, and he made a shadow wolf, like my clones. But will the Hokage buy it?_

"Hey Naruto, snap out of it, we're here," Sakura said, hitting him lightly on the head. Naruto broke his train of thought; they had arrived at the Hokage tower. Although the team had no problems gaining entry into the building, Naruto could feel the stares of the hidden guards. He knew that at the slightest hint of foul play, they would have a kunai at their throats in an instant.

Kakashi led Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke through the tower until they arrived at the Hokage's office. The Anbu guard stationed outside examined them intently before knocking on the door and announcing their presence.

"Team seven to see you, sir." He nodded to Kakashi and stepped aside to let them pass. Naruto eyed the owl mask hiding the man's face. From the inflection of his voice and the slight favoring he gave to his right leg, Naruto gathered that he was in his forties, probably a seasoned member of the Anbu guard who was past his mission days. With that leg, he was most likely incapable of traveling lost distances or fighting against strong enemies; he was recruited as the Hokage's guard because there was no one else to take up the job.

_They usually station a better ninja to guard the Hokage, _Naruto thought. _Where are all the other Anbu? _The Hokage's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Team seven, very good." The Hokage nodded at them. "I'd like you to tell me what you witnessed at the battle in Wave country."

Sasuke stepped forward. "We delivered the scroll, as was our mission. While we were in the parishioner's office, we noticed a commotion down by the docks. We went to investigate; there was a group of ninja attacking a small number of townsfolk, who were being slaughtered. We joined the fight, but their numbers didn't seem to be going down. We were in danger of losing when a wolf appeared in the fight. He began taking down the enemy ninja; after that, we soon finished off the intruders. A small group of them ran away, and the wolf disappeared. We ran back to the parishioner's office, but he was already dead and the scroll was taken. We immediately returned home to report the incident."

The Hokage inclined his head. "And you two?"

"What he said, sir," Sakura said. Naruto nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, that wolf was cool!" he exclaimed. Sandaime interlaced his fingers.

"And none of you know where the wolf came from? Or why he was there?" he asked. Naruto shook his head along with the others.

"Maybe he was a super cool jutsu, ne?" Naruto put forward. "Like a shadow wolf? Or the teeth and claw jutsu or something? Man, I'd love to learn a jutsu like that."

"No jutsu can create a flesh-and-blood animal from nothing, unless it was a summons. But the only trained ninja present at the battle were you four and the enemy, and the enemy wouldn't summon an animal to attack themselves. No, It was a real wolf, and it had a real purpose in that battle. It's only a matter of figuring out what that purpose was." The Hokage closed his eyes. "You are dismissed."

Naruto followed Kakashi and the other out of the room. _Crap, he didn't go for it. It was a long-shot, anyway. Maybe he'll forget about it. _Somehow Naruto didn't think that would happen.

Outside the tower, Kakashi told them that they were free to do whatever they pleased, as he needed to conduct some "research." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're such a pervert," he said, sticking out his tongue. Sakura nodded.

"One day you'll get caught, Kakashi-sensei, and then where will you be?" she asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about." He strolled off, leaving them to do as they wished.

Naruto headed back to the forest after saying goodbye to his teammates. He still needed to do something about his living situation, but he figured one more day in the trees wouldn't hurt. Seishi loved it, anyway.

As soon as Naruto was far enough into the forest, Seishi joined him. Naruto brushed his fingers along the wolf's back as he walked, wondering how long he would be able to keep his secret.

_Why are you sad? _Seishi asked. Naruto glanced down at the wolf.

"_I'm just tired of hiding," _he replied. "_Sometimes I wish I could just be myself around everyone, instead of having to hide behind this mask."_

_Then do not hide, _Seishi said simply.

Naruto thought over Seishi's words. Why was he hiding in the first place? When he first began concealing his abilities, it was so the villagers wouldn't have another reason to torment him. But now, when he was old enough and strong enough to defend himself against most enemies, why did he choose to pretend? He could easily achieve the rank of chunin at his present level, if not jounin. He wouldn't have to subject himself to class D missions or the belittlement he received from his teammates.

Naruto pondered his choices while he made his way to the same tree he slept in the night before. He found the owl he had spoken to earlier asleep in a crevasse in the trunk; there was also a robin sitting on a branch and a snake curled up on one of the roots. He approached the bird first.

"_Hello."_

_Good light. Do you know where the big tree is, the one that has no leaves or branches? My family is there, but I cannot find it._

Naruto had trouble deciphering the robin's speech. He glanced to Seishi.

_The one in the middle of the houses, _Seishi clarified.

"_Oh, you mean the Hokage tower. Just fly over that wall and head straight; you should reach it in no time. Just make sure you don't curve too much, or you'll miss it."_

The robin fluttered his wings in thanks and flew away. Naruto turned to the snake, offering his arm for the snake to curl around.

"_And how can I help you?"_

_I have lost my way as well, but I have no family. I am from the big water; I found a small space to sleep and woke up somewhere else. I have traveled for two days to find you, for they say you can help all animals. _

From either the sea or a lake, then. He must have slept on a boat or a cart that moved while he was on it. _"What can I do to help?"_

_I have no hope of returning home; all I ask of you is to give me a new one. I do not require much, only a small place to sleep and the freedom to hunt. _

"_I would be honored if you stayed here; this tree is becoming the home of many."_

The snake brushed his head against Naruto's arm, then unwound himself and slithered into the underbrush. Naruto stretched and looked into the branches of the oak. _Maybe I don't need a new house, only a new home. This tree seems to be a fine fit. _He smiled and turned, heading for a clearing that he has previously spotted. It was time to train and consider his options. Maybe it was time for Naruto the Dunce to become a real ninja.


End file.
